First pain free day (and no panadol either!)

I feel like jumping for joy, but I don't want to risk another injury. Today is exactly 3 weeks after my first day of severe pain. Today I am pain free. I feel like this is a major achievement. Not sure when I will be back running, but at least things seem to be healing! Yipee!

I have to thank my physio/torturer - he has been amazing at identifying the cause of this problem, and despite the extremely painful physio sessions he seems to have straightened up my back and i am walking straight again (the crookedness was a major cause of my pain).

Boston 2011 is looking more distant to me now, but bring on Boston 2012 (as a fall back plan for Boston 2011).

[Ry]

Tendonosis update

[Ry]. So, finally got in to see my physio yesterday (the one I have been to for the last 7-8 years for various problems). He took one look at me and said 'you are more crooked than I have ever seen you'. His aim is to straighten me up so I can get out running again. He believes the adductor tendonosis is a result of instability in my 'core' and that there is too much movement in my right hip. I have been running crooked for too long and hence the adductors have taken too much strain.

He is an optimistic guy - he reckons I can get back into gentle running next week. I am hoping he is right.

So, after 45 mins of excruitiating pain at his hands yesterday, I felt fantastic all day yesterday - my first panadol free day in two weeks. Felt ok today, pain, but not so much. Back to see him on Thursday for more torture - but it's all worth it.

I can't take too much longer of this inactivity, it is driving me (and my family) nuts.

Permanent transition in my living room…

[co] Well I am slowly getting over my ‘girl flu’ (bout 2) as we speak. Have gotten into this weeks training… ticking boxes, though still feeling the aftereffects a little in higher intensity stuff (well any intensity sucks at the moment).

And as it is meant to be… I have come right at the end of my ‘holiday’ and so its time to set transition up again as I start work tomorrow.

Now what I have found is that I seem to have a permanents corner in my living room that has become ‘transition corner’. Where I put out my clothes ready for the mornings training (so I can sneak (or try to) out of bed and not be too disruptive and get changed in the lounge) or for that nights workout, to make sure they are clean and no rush washing needs doing.

They say in triathlon that transitions are important, those precious seconds to win a race. Now this isn’t an issue for me… but it can be the difference between setting a PB, hanging onto a group or not giving away time to that stranger you have been playing tag with on the bike when you hit the run. So I find myself practicing transition everyday… juts a slower and perhaps split training method. Or maybe it’s more like Ironman transition where I hand my bags in the day before… however I am not on the clock at 5 am as I rush to get the running tights on… maybe something to add to the mix to spicen it up (not).

Perhaps all it really is an extension of my list-itis… looks like being prepared… but actually its about half ticking the list in anticipation.

How does everyone else handle the need to be organized for triathlons (I have a theory about Oompa-Loompas, but that’s the next post…)? Over and out.

The pain and agony....of not running....

[Ry]

Almost two weeks of no running....10 days to be exact. So the doctor has diagnosed me with adductor tendonisis. Good news is that I know what I'm dealing with, bad news is that is one of those really frustrating injuries that can take anything from 3 weeks to 3 months to come right.

Some days I feel better than others, but overall it still hurts like hell, so no running.

I was supposed to run the Run Melbourne half marathon today. Less than two weeks ago I thought it would be a walk in the park (easy). Today, my husband had to pin my number on his shirt and run the 5km fun run instead (on my behalf).

Arrghhhh......

Catching Concussion

[co] Okay so you can’t catch concussion… but I am going with this theory….

So today is about day 2 of my ‘concussion’… read cold/flu attack... man not fair! So earlier this week the ‘real’ concussion victim in our house was suffering from what we thought were the usual concussion fatigue symptoms. Tired, headaches etc… also thrown in dropping stuff and dyslexic typing… so a day off was called for (mainly in bed) to rest up and recharge the batteries…. Now seeing as I have been in bed from Wednesday mid morning till now (on and off) I have decided that I too have ‘caught concussion’ or perhaps actually it wasn’t concussion symptoms coming to the fore (as they do sometimes, still 18 months later, when tired etc) it was the dreaded flu…

Added to my ‘life isn’t fair’ woes is that I am currently on a week off (between jobs) and was looking forward to relaxing (yes I had planned naps… but also getting up from them as well) and training… well no training yesterday/today. Hoping to try the sensible route and rest and then get back into it tomorrow… fingers crossed.

Maybe its age… or the fact I am on holiday… I seem to be a bit more likely to catch things (or so it seems) as now twice this winter been laid low. Need to look at my fruit and vege intake!

Righto back to bed – exhausted!

INJURY - AGAIN!!

ARRRGHHHHHH I just lost my long ranting post about my injury!!

In a nutshell - damaged adductor tendons - top right leg.

No running.

In pain.

When will it heal - who knows.

No running since last Tuesday.

Supposed to be doing half marathon this Sunday. Clearly not running.

NOT HAPPY.

Its Frosty!

[co] OK it is now officially cold! Yesterday I braved the conditions to race the Run Auckland half marathon in Takapuna. Now I think I might have been doing this race for fun... as had not had an easy week or anything like that beforehand. It all seems part of the 'learn to run when tired' program from coach Tony (also known as the 'harden the f*** up' program).

So along with some other rather crazy people I rocked up at the start line just before 8 to get this sucker done and dusted. Only to be greeted with the news that the race would start 15 minutes late (and it was about 20 when the gun went off). Now I don't begrudge them trying to get all the late entries in... but on a morning when it was around 2 degrees at 6:45 when I got picked up (by fellow crazy person - thanks for the lift Irish) and had perhaps warmed to 6 by 8... not so generous now...

So we huddled together with strangers for warmth... and then we were off.

A rather mixed crowd, as I jumped around children to find some free space... had to hold the under 10s off for fear of trampling them and finding myself in the paper for serious injury to children... I mean really what were they (or their parents) thinking? Fun run? I doubt it...

So the run snakes off to Milford and then back to Devonport and up and around North Head till back to the beach. Now when I read the course description and saw North Head I didn't realise it was up it... so not so happy with all the hills... not then fastest course, but actually despite and probably because of it, a beautiful day with spectacular harbour views at times!



Graph above shows the altitude, my HR and energy extended. (the actual altitude is probably not right, as forgot to reset recently... but you can see the differentials)

So pushed myself, tried to follow those running in the 10km race until they peeled off at about 8.5 kms to get a sense of pace... and then made it up as we continued along... as kilometer markers were few and far between at this point (note to self need to get new gadget with GPS so I will know distance and pacing going forward...any excuse will do).

But all ended well. Ran 1:36, like 'what the...?' totally unexpected as didn't feel in it for most of the way. Perhaps the cold works for me... as certainly couldn't feel much for the first 10 kms...

So have decided I am retiring... I mean end on a high I say!

Thinking Space

[Ry] As I went for my run yesterday I thought about a lot of things. Running is great for thinking, as it's the one time of the day that you do not need to or usually, want to, speak to anyone. You can't answer your mobile phone or be interrupted by your blackberry buzzing each time a new email arrives. There are no kids pulling at you to go and get chips or chocolate from the pantry. There is no TV to turn down. There is no need to listen out for the door bell or to feel the need to do laundry.

Sometimes people comment to me that they find running really boring, and ask how on earth can you go and run for 60 mins, 2 hours, 3 hours at a time. Far from boring, running is fantastic. You can listen to your favourite music as you run (thanks to technology and MP3 players (or if you prefer iPods!, personally I am an iRiver fan). You can think about the day, or the day ahead, about decisions you need to make, about what you would like to say to that person that was rude to you during the day, you can daydream, you can reminisce about days gone by....personally I can't think of anything better than going out for a long long long run with a fully charged iRiver full of my favourite music.

Only problem right now is that I have another injury!! Yes, another one! My body is letting me down. I have yet another appointment with my friendly neighborhood phyiso on Thursday morning, I'm hoping he will tell me I'm fine and I can get back into my running by Friday.

The Cave

[co] One of the highlights of training is the ‘cave’. Now the cave is where one retreats on those Sunday afternoons after a long ride…. Or the end of an easy week, which always seem the hardest (my theory is all that tiredness you have been holding off – hits you like a ton of bricks) .. where you sit and hide from the world and relax.

Now for me the cave is the place I go (normally on a Sunday afternoon) with the blinds down, heater up (at the moment) and TV on. Now I prefer this to be a solitary cave, so all the better when no one else is at home and I can watch those secret pleasures of terrible TV.

So this weekend I had Sunday all lined up (with the rain helping to make the cave a more welcome sanctuary) to make myself one with the couch and cave it.

But this week I had something new to try… the chair had turned up. Now I have always wanted a Lazy Boy, ever since my youth, when we would visit my uncle on the farm and race to be the one to get the prized seat. It seemed the greatest thing on earth, to be able to recline and watch TV at the same time… oh the bliss… and so since then I have had my eye on one.

Now I live with someone who supports the cave, but not so much the Lazy Boy. Rightly or wrongly they have never been approved aesthetically.. and who’s to say…

But the good news (for me) is that there is an approved ‘version’ of the chair…. And it arrived last week (see picture). A replica Eames chair gets the tick.

So I got to be in my cave, now in my chair (please note the ‘my’ part of that)… and cave it. Bliss! The only problem I have now is actually getting out of it to train.